


Daily Life of Chaldea, Singularity 6

by DevilMayCrye



Series: Daily Life of Chaldea - Incineration of Humanity & Epic of Remnant [6]
Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/EXTRA, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-01-18 16:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21280064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevilMayCrye/pseuds/DevilMayCrye
Summary: As Fate/Grand Order has shown us, we all know what Ritsuka 'Gudao/Gudako' Fujimaru, Mash Kyrielight and the servants who join them during their mission get up to during the Singularities......but what is life like for the Staff of Chaldea, and the numerous Heroic Spirits who don't end up joining their Master during the Singularities? What do the Heroes of Humanity do while on standby, unable to fight for the sake of Humanity?Welcome, to the Daily Life of Chaldea.Singularity 6 is set during Camelot, and right up until Babylonia
Series: Daily Life of Chaldea - Incineration of Humanity & Epic of Remnant [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1514963
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Two outta Three ain't Bad

"Hmm, another of Japan's Three Great Monsters has graced Chaldea." Dr Romani mused, concerned about the state of Chaldea's FATE summoning system.

In theory, it should only summon the spirits of Heroes, the greatest examples of humanity, individuals who The World has accepted as objects of worship after their deaths.

Yet, the System was summoning Anti-Heroic Spirits.  
At first, he had put it down to small Glitches in the system, or the System somehow twisting the base definition.

But after more and more singularities passed and were dealt with, Dr Romani was shocked at how diverse the range of ethics and morality skewed in Chaldea.  
They had pure Knights, like Chevalier d'Eon and King Arturia, shining exemplars of what the age of chivalry was supposed to be about.  
They also had dark and twisted knights, like Lancelot the Dark Knight, and the twisted Tyrant King Arturia who had been part of the inciting incident, who showed the truth that the age of Chivalry tried ever so hard to hide.

They had pure Saints, like Jeanne d'Arc and Saint Martha, those whose existences inspired so much good into the world.  
They also had the utter dregs of the human soul, like Angra Mainyu and Jack the Ripper, beings whose existence had never been truly confirmed, but just the idea of them inspired truly horrific acts.

Now, just as Ritsuka enacted the last set of summoning before they rushed off to a much needed rest, two examples of the demons of humanity were summoned.

Two Oni stood side by side.  
Both short women, one with black twisted horns that ended in blood red points protruding out of her forehead, the other with pale skin tones that seemed to be dyed wine-red the closer to the point you got, seeming to just flow out of her forehead.

One wore a yellow yukata, loosely hanging off her thin shoulders in a very carefree manner, a floral pattern bringing small patches of colour, large dark beads seemingly holding the loose yukata to her form, a simple sash holds her leotard in place.  
Her arms and feet bore the traditional red skin some Oni were known for, with tribal patterns spreading along her body while transitioning into pale skin.  
Her matching yellow hair long and flowing, with the tribal patterns centred on a Third Eye-esque design between her horns, with golden eyes glaring at the humans watching the summoning.  
Her huge sword of bone was left holstered, for now, seemingly waiting for any excuse to draw the massive blade.

The other oni, while wearing a long and flowing purple and red kimono, somehow seemed to be wearing less than her summon-mate, wearing seemingly nothing but a strange piece of metallic materially, that both hid feminine parts while drawing the eyes of everyone inclined towards the female form to admire what lay beneath the kimono, with similar materials on her hands and feet.  
Her short purple hair drawing attention to the small green jewel set between her horns, which in turn drew your eyes to her own lustrous purple ones, her skin seemingly pale yet slightly silver, making it seem like she had a silver-ish tint to her skin.  
Unlike her summon-mate, she bore a large crystal gourd, seemingly full of an unknown liquid.

The purple haired Oni opened her eyes wide, taking in the new sights before her.  
"Say, my dear Ibaraki. It would seem we have been summoned together."

Ibaraki-douji, the leader of the Oni of Mt Ooe, just continued glaring at the now nervous humans.  
"One word from you and we shall feast splendidly."

The purple haired Oni laughed, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
"Now now, lets meet our Master before we decide to feast. Who knows, maybe a love of taking what they want runs in their veins, if they were able to summon us both."

Shuten-douji had just arrived, and Dr Romani worried for the healthy and safety of his staff. A creature of unrestrained hedonism, she could easily corrupt Chaldea from within.  
Now, if he could keep Tamm--

"SHUTEN!!!!!!" A blue-robed and pink haired figure rushed in, and picked the short purple haired Oni up in a giant, twirling hug.

Two of Japan's Three Great Monsters now dwelled in Chaldea, and were apparently friends.


	2. Dragon's Wrath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The normally composed Romani is tired, and an accidental slip of the tongue almost gets him on the bad side of the numerous female Servants of Chaldea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is written by both Lady_Vossler and I.
> 
> I take the role of Romani and Shuten-Douji, whereas the Lady_Vossler writes the other feminine servants for this chapter.  
Please give her some love if you like what she's written!

"Dear god, her breasts are huge."  
Dr Romani Archaman, didn't realize the true error of what he had muttered within the hearing range of certain servants, after the final summoning of the Onigashima pseudo-singularity.

Da Vinci ignored the comment, but now felt a particular desire to spread this remark among some of the more........less than respectful of authority servants who might take issue with the current acting Director of Chaldea making such a remark.

Shuten-douji, always one for causing chaos among the humans, relished the idea of Dr Roman's remark, even if it had been made about the cow who had just been summoned.

Kiyohime, who had recently started working with Dr Roman as his assistant and thought she had a good grasp on the man's character (atleast as much a grasp on someone's character as a Berserker was capable of), was stunned and quietly began fuming.  
She hadn't realised the creepy asshole servants like Bluebeard and Edward Teach had started affecting someone so important and influential to her beloved Master, and she would not tolerate this one bit!  
She might not have many close friends in Chaldea, but the few she did have could definitely make Roman's life miserable.

Raikou, the last servant to be summoned and the one whose figure Dr Roman was admiring, had left as quickly as she appeared, hot on the trails of Ritsuka, who seemed determined to go straight to the Coffins and get the next singularity underway.

\---------------------------------  
Leaving the control room in capable hands, Dr Roman felt the urge to just take a walk around Chaldea.

Due to the intensity of the Onigashima pseudo-singularity, he and Da Vinci had agree to a 24 hour break for the whole staff, and since that also meant Ritsuka couldn't travel to their next planned singularity, it meant he could actually leave the Control Room for a casual stroll.  
He quietly passed his occasional assistant Kiyohime and one of the newer servants, a purple haired girl in a black leotard, who were quietly talking to one another, quieting down when he approached.  
He gave them both a polite greeting, before continuing on his casual stroll, the sound of their quiet talk resuming as he got further away.

"Doctor Roman? Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?"  
A young knight took a couple jogging steps to catch up with the doctor. They looked quite serious.

"Huh? Oh, sure, Chevalier d'Eon. Whats on your mind?" Romani asked, unsure as to why d'Eon wanted to talk.  
d'Eon typically stayed with Marie Antoinette, and she'd been rather quiet lately, which was odd...for someone.....as boisterous...as her...........

_Oh god, what is Marie Antoinette up to now?_  
Romani began to dwell on this, realizing just how much chaos bored servants could cause in Chaldea without Ritsuka or someone they respected being around to keep the peace.

d'Eon cleared their throat and began in a grave tone, "It has come to my attention that you have let slip a comment that is most unbecoming of someone in your position. As you well know, you are the head of a prestigious organization now and so you must act accordingly."  
Although the Saber paused for a breath, they didn't allow Roman enough time to respond.  
"A woman may be beautiful and well gifted but that does not mean you have the room to make a comment about her appearance. If such a comment us made, no matter how well intentioned, it can raise the question ad to if the authority making the comment really respects those under them. As well as if they deserve respect in turn. You see, doctor, you must be fully aware of how you conduct yourself otherwise you may well undermine your own authority."  
Chevalier d'Eon spared Roman a look filled with disappointment.

"Truthfully, I expect more from you, Doctor. You are a leader to the Last Master of Chaldea. You must set a good example and not stoop to such a low position as commenting on a woman's figure. The servant you were talking about deserved more respect from you. All women deserve respect and you must lead by example so that none in your care are corrupted by the vile thoughts you fell victim to earlier today."  
The knight gave a quick bow.

"I thank you for your time, doctor. I truly hope you take my words to heart. Good day," and with that, they turned on their heel and departed.

Unfortunately for d'Eon, the concerned and thoughtful look on Romani's face was not because he was actively paying attention to the Lily Knight's lecture, but he was instead focusing on the sort of chaos the Queen of Lillies might be planning.  
_What is she up to? I know she was planning some Kira Kira land thing, which I diverted to Da Vinci so it wouldn't get past the planning stages._

Seeing the young Knight run off, Romani assumed the matter was settled, and he could relax a little.  
If d'Eon wasn't confirming anything with him, then obviously it was just idle chatter. He wasn't happy he had apparently ignored what d'Eon said, but there wasn't anything he could do.

Romani continued on his walk, oblivious to the danger d'Eon had just prophesied for his future.

\-----------------  
On his rounds, Romani managed to make his way to the area near the Simulation room.  
And judging by the percussive BANGS and BOOMS coming from, some Servants were apparently using it.

As he got closer to the door, the 'In Use' light flicked to stand-by, and the door unlocked, revealing two servants.

"Oh! Roman! We need your full attention for juuuuuust a moment," the tall blonde servant joyfully announced. Then an impossibly large rifle was brought into position, aimed right into Roman's face.  
"Just so you know we're serious," came a quiet addition from the small servant beside her.

Its very hard not to flinch when having a cannon masquerading as a rifle aimed at your face, yet Roman still flinched anyway.  
Despite what they've been through, it seems he still wasn't ready to face his own mortality.  
He shouldn't have been surprised either. He'd been waiting for one of the pirate servants to attempt something. Even Ritsuka's presence could only calm that storm for so long.  
"......you have my full attention."

Mary slowly brandished her sword, pointing it at Roman's chest. She stepped forward, causing the doctor to step back until his back hit the hallway wall. Anne wasn't one to be left standing in the doorway and followed them, keeping the rifle trained on his head.  
"You will never repeat the behavior from this morning," Mary told him matter-of-factly. "Ever."  
"See ya around," Anne chimed. Then as quickly as they had appeared, the weapons were put away, and the pirates were sauntering away.

Roman decided that, at some point today, he was going to find Da Vinci and quiz her as to why so many servants were accusing him of doing something, bad enough to warrant a lecture from a knight known for their purity, and for him to be physically threatened by the Caribbean Lovers.

All he'd done today was oversee the final scheduled summoning, and short of a Servant knowing how to read minds, he didn't remember saying anything worth the lecture or threat.

_........please don't tell me someone we summoned today can read minds._  
With that terrifying thought on his mind, Roman headed in the direction opposite of the pirate Duo, since he wasn't one to tempt fate.

\-----------------------------

"Fufufufu, is that a Doctor Archaman I spy? You are just the human I was looking for." a devilishly short and scantily under-dressed Servant ambled towards her freshly sighted prey.

Dr Roman........had no idea where to look.  
Shuten-Douji, one of Japan's Three Great Monsters, a hedonist by nature, who actively reveled in the new levels of hedonism being an Anti-Heroic Spirit allowed her. She was a true threat to Chaldea, if it weren't for the fact that between Kintoki being here and her new love of Ritsuka, she wasn't the least bit interested in causing damaged.

She did, however, enjoy sowing chaos throughout Chaldea. Between her frightening intellect, the seemingly unnatural insight into anyone who might be inclined towards debauchery, and the way she almost passively tried to seduce those she talked to, being the center of her attention never turned out well for anyone except for maybe Ritsuka.

"......to what do I owe the pleasure, Ms Douji?" Roman asked the purple-haired oni, focusing his eyes on the green jewel nestled between her horns, on her forehead.

"My my, you find my presence pleasurable? And here I thought you only had a thing for cows." Shuten teased, while slowly toying with her shawl, attempting to draw his eyes down and once again try to seduce the Doctor.  
But by keeping his eyes focused on the jewel, Dr Roman noticed a twinge of anger when the oni mentioned having a thing for cows.

"Oh right, I almost forgot why I was asked to find you. Apparently, Sanzang is in need of a mediation partner, and she apparently wanted you specifically." Shuten said almost languidly, seemingly feeling the full force of the demon liquor she was known to drink.  
"Would you happen to know why Sanzang would want me specifically?" Dr Roman cautiously asked.  
He didn't have a problem with the buddhist monk, or her teachings, but he also hadn't spent any time with her, that would indicate why she would want to meditate with her.  
_Pretty sure only Ritsuka actively joins her. So why me?_

Shuten's gazed tilted upwards, forcing him to look into her lustrously purple eyes.  
"Excited to join her in her 'meditations', eh? How vulgar. No matter, I was asked to escort you to the monk, and escort you I shall!"

She started to take the lead, before Roman politely put his hand on her shoulder.  
"No reason an Oni should show deference to a human. Walk beside me, as leaders of different tribes would."

Shuten's eyes widened at the touch, and blushed slightly at the suggestion they were equals, before that scheming intellect took hold.

"How bold of you, Dr Archaman. Fufufu, if you survive today, you may just provide me with a distracting feast, should the Boy or my Sweetie fail to distract me. Now come, the monk awaits to purge you of your worldly desires." Shuten winked, before starting again, this time moving slow enough to indicate she was waiting for Roman.

Dr Roman was lost in everything that had just happened, to take in the underlying threat of what Shuten had told him.

The walk was not long, allowing enough idle chit chat that Roman had already forgotten his previous strange encounters of the day, before arriving at the room Sanzang was apparently waiting.  
"Don't keep her waiting, you still have others to grace today."

\----------------

"Welcome doctor, if you would please take a seat," Sanzang said brightly. She was sitting cross legged on top a floor mat. Incense burned beside her. There was one other mat placed a few feet facing the Caster, obviously meant for any guest that came along.

As soon as the doctor sat, Sanzang began, not allowing any questions to be raised.  
"Please start by closing your eyes and taking deep even breaths. In through the nose.... and out through the mouth... in through the nose... and out through the mouth..."  
The priest allowed some time to pass to let them acclimate to the breathing.

"We are going to feel our body, starting with our toes and working our way up. Feel your toes and the soles of your feet, how they feel now that they are not holding you up..."  
She continued like this until she finally completed the journey up the body. This part of the meditation wasn't the main point. It was a class method to get them to a point where the mind was free.  
"Feel only your thoughts. You are here. There is no outside. There is only you.... Feel your inner self. Feel who you are. Now is the time to practice seeing how you acted today. Be mindful. Be honest. This is who you are."

Sanzang allowed another moment in silence.

"Find the parts that cause others pain and let those go. We must only let the healthy parts to flourish. We must nurture the goodness inside."  
A longer pause this time. Cutting it short would defeat the purpose of this exercise.

"Remember you are allowed to make mistakes. As long as you prune the bad parts and let the good parts to expand. Remember to keep breathing. In through the nose... and out through the mouth... In through the nose... and out through the mouth..."  
Caster filled in some typical mindfulness techniques. Her own meditation allowed her to see Doctor Roman as fallible but able to correct mistakes. She would help him.

\---------------

After awhile, she led Roman back to himself, reversing the acknowledgement of the body so that they ended at the toes.  
It was during this that the priest heard the door open. Sanzang finished the meditation and opened her eyes. Leonardo Da Vinci had entered the room.

"Roman, Kiyohime asked me to fetch you for her," the Beautiful Genius informed him with a small smile. 

Roman...........was not aware of how much time had passed. He wasn't aware of just how much he had apparently needed to just zone out and let the worries of the world depart him.  
Next time he he saw Ritsuka or Sanzang, he was gonna ask if he could join their meditations.

The Beautiful Genius quietly but firmly cleared her throat, bringing his attention to them.  
"I'm sorry, but what did you say, Da Vinci?"

The small smile remained, but a hint of tiredness now began to show.  
"Kiyohime asked me to fetch you for her."

_Odd._ He didn't have any business with Kiyohime today, and since he had passed her early without incident, he couldn't imagine what had happened since that would require his attention.  
"Oh. Well, lead the way then, Doctor."

\----------------

Da Vinci led Doctor Roman through the halls of Chaldea. For once, she maintained the silence as they traveled. She glanced at Roman. He looked relaxed and untroubled.  
They reached the door to the room Kiyohime had claimed for her purposes.

"A bit of advice, Roman. Do try to keep your head, and listen to what is being said."  
She nodded to the door.  
"Kiyohime is waiting for you."  
She turned and left the Doctor in Kiyohime's hands.

"Ah, Dr Roman, how nice of you to join us," Kiyohime said, taking the Doctor by the arm and guiding him to a seat.  
She sat him with Serenity on his right and Shuten on his left. Kiyohime herself, sat down across from him.

Serenity took up the teapot and filled the cup before Romani as Kiyohime graciously said, "We're very glad you could make room in your busy schedule to meet with us."  
She nodded to the tea and small biscuits before them all on the table. Serenity started adding sugar to her own tea.

"To what do I owe this pleasure? I don't recall us having plans today, and since I passed both you and Serenity early without any word of this, this must be a sudden thing."  
Romani wasn't sure how he felt about these three servants hanging together, given the nature of the oni and the dragon wearing a human skin.

Serenity was still a newcomer, and beyond the welcome tour he and Da Vinci occasionally organized when a mass summon was called for, he hadn't interacted with her much.  
But Shuten and Kiyohime were a dangerous combination.  
What had happened to bring those two together?

"You haven't tried the tea, Doctor," Kiyohime noted with a distant echo of a threat in her voice.

At that remark, Roman felt all three sets of eyes focus on him with an intensity he was not expecting.  
"Where are my manners? My apologies." Romani said shakily, as he went to grab the cup the purple haired Assassin had poured for him.

The atmosphere relaxed back from the tension and Kiyohime gave the room a smile.  
"We wished to discuss your... comment from this morning," the dragon announced politely.  
"You see... it upset a great many of us. It was quite.... Oh, how should I describe it..." she trailed off, looking innocently annoyed at the lack of perfect descriptors coming to her.

"Repugnant? I mean, the sow is known for her excess of fat, but a respected leader should keep those comments to themselves." The oni sprawled as much as she could, both to make herself as comfortable as possible, while also enjoying the fact that Romani squirmed when more of her form was revealed.

Kiyohime nodded to the oni. "Yes, Shuten, thank you."

Serenity finished preparing her tea and took a sip. Kiyohime took a biscuit and placed it on her plate.

"We do not appreciate a man that so blatantly announces his lewd thoughts. Much less someone with authority over us or our master."  
The threat was back in her voice. The dragon held Romans gaze and threaded her fingers before her.  
"Poison can slip into so many things doctor. A glass of water... a small snack as you work... a cup of tea..."

Serenity plucked a biscuit for herself and quietly added, "And a poison can take a long time to kill."

Kiyohime took drink of tea and then said, "Exactly. You see, Doctor, people really need to be careful about what words they let slip out. Or they might find the poison of their words coming back to them threefold."

".....what did you do to the tea?" Roman said rather stiffly, as he awkwardly put his tea down.  
Roman's mind raced, thinking over what the Berserker had said.  
Was this her Madness Enhancement? No, it couldn't be. Kiyohime despised lies, since it was a lie which ignited her legend.

So he had done something, or atleast Kiyohime was of the belief he did.

What was it with appearances, and the apparent need for lectures? As he recalled the rather eclectic meetings of today, pieces started to click in to place.  
Respect. Feminine Bodies. Feminine servants known to either value Authority and take action when that Authority is proven unworthy, or to despise perverts, specifically targeted him.  
What piece was he missing?

"Nothing, Doctor. It's just tea," Kiyohime said with a bright smile.

"It's my favorite," Serenity added. "I thought... I thought you might enjoy it."

Romani, still unnerved by the wrathful dragon's words, slowly gathered his frayed nerves.  
"Thank you, Serenity. Its a bit sweet for my taste, but it isn't unpleasant."

Serenity looked over to Kiyohime, who nodded her assent. The poison flower looked at Roman, having gotten permission.  
"We were hurt by your words this morning," she informed him. 

Serenity picked up her napkin, letting her hands worry at something.  
"Um even though we aren't... we don't...," Serenity faltered.

"We didn't appreciate your comment about a certain servant's chest size," Kiyohime supplied. 

Serenity nodded to her in thanks.  
"It made us uncomfortable," the Poison Girl continued. "Especially coming from someone at the head of Chaldea."

Romans face started off as a deep shade of red, embarrassed at what was being said, before it faded to a pale pink, as shock settled in.  
_Oh no. I didn't think I had said that aloud._  
"........who else heard what I said?" Romani said meekly.

"Well, it started off as only a few of us, but word spreads quickly, Doctor," Kiyohime aimed a glare at him. "Which is why we needed to have this meeting today, as soon as possible. So we could make sure the behavior didn't spread to others just as fast."

"I appreciate your....reservedness, in dealing with this." Roman was now a deep pink, a combination of the feelings of embarrassment, and the very sudden realization that he had come disastrously close to ending his own life on accident.  
He quickly finished the tea.  
"I'm going to go take a rest. It has come to my attention that I am in desperate need of sleep." He quickly but politely headed towards his room.

\--------------  
The dragon, and poison girl smiled, no longer baring fangs behind the smiles, whereas the oni sighed in boredom.

"Damn, I was hoping to have an excuse to feast on him." Shuten-douji complained to her fellow conspirators. They weren't as much fun as the Oni she knew, but this plan had been delightful.

"The Doctor is a good but flawed man. He just occasionally needs to be made aware of his actions." the young dragon chided her new friend, before a sour look spread across her face.  
"But if he ever starts picking up any of that scummy Rider's behaviors, we should consider convincing Ritsuka to terminate that contract."

Shuten's eyes widen in delight.  
_Oh my, look like I was wrong, she might be just as fun as Ibaraki is._  
She quickly took Kiyohime by the hand.

"Come to my room! You must meet my dear Ibaraki!"


	3. Her 'Children', part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord El-Melloi the 2nd was never close to his mother.
> 
> Now he has to learn what having a loving Mother is like.

_"To any Staff or Servants who have now been claimed as 'My Children', please do not resist or deny the Servant who is claiming this. She isn't violent, but she will guilt you heavily into accepting your new fate."_

_Why is it, that whenever I have to deal with Servants who attach themselves to me, its always the absurdly strong and stubborn ones?_  
Lord El-Melloi II, the pseudo-servant who was also known as Waver Velvet or Zhuge Liang, depending on which part of his current existence you examined, sighed heavily as a rather buxom woman had attached herself to his arm and declared herself his Mother.

His own Mother had been an ordinary woman who had barely known magecraft, and considering how Zhuge Liang's spirit origin was derived from the chinese epic 'the Romance of the Three Kingdoms', he'd figured this woman was obviously insane.

However, given the strength he could feel in her grip, and what he could read of her statistics, she was a rather powerful Berserker.

Lord El-Melloi sighed again, and kept leading the strange woman to his King's room.  
While he wasn't particularly skilled in dealing with woman in any regard, maybe the King of Conquerors could convince this poor woman that he wasn't her son, and he could then get back to work.

\-----------------------  
"HA HA HA, finally found yourself a woman, eh? And now you are parading her in front of your King? A fine catch, I must say. Even the King of Heroes himself might be jealous!" bellowed the King of Conquerors, once Waver arrived at Iskandar's room. 

The tall and well-endowed servant hanging on to Waver's arm, Minamoto-no-Raikou, blushed. "Oh no, silly King. A Mother would never sleep with her children."

Not much could easily confuse the Great King, but the look of puzzlement directed towards Lord El-Melloi was almost amusing, if only he were not the cause of it.  
"Didn't realise you were into that sort of thing, boy. I mean, enjoy what you enjoy, but somethings are oft better left for private affairs."

Before Raikou could respond further, Lord El-Melloi wanted to properly give his King the context, because once a notion entrenched itself in this idiots head, it would take a literal army to change his mind.  
"No, my King. As I'm sure you heard from the broadcast, this is the aforementioned Servant, and I am now apparently 'her child'." El-Melloi responded a tad sullenly.

"What has your mother done to you, to deserve such treatment?" Raikou pouted, lips trembling, a tear slowly forming in her left eye.

El-Melloi sighed, before giving her a timidly affectionate pat on the arms gripping his own, which seemed to calm the brewing storm somewhat.  
"I'm sorry.......Mother. This is just unexpected, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around this."  
He paused, upon realising who in question Raikou was, and which Servants currently resided in Chaldea.  
"Maybe I should ask Kintoki about what is expected of me?"

At the mention of Kintoki, Raikou was overcome with surprise.  
"My son is here? I must find him and let him know his Mama has come back to him."  
Her grip quickly lessened, before she took off down the corridor. Hopefully, being a Berserker, she would forget about El-Melloi's existence.

".......shes a strange one. Then again, being a strong servant apparently seems to bring out a person's weirder side." Iskandar mused aloud.

"Assuming her Madness Enhancement doesn't cause her to forget about me, what should I do to rid myself of her, my King?" Lord El-Melloi asked.

Iskandar paused, seemingly assessing what his young retainer had told him.  
"Berserker, eh? I think you're stuck with her. She may have a Madness Enhancement, but those eyes show a formidable mind at work, so I'm guessing hers isn't so much tied to her mind but more how she perceives people, like 'her children'."

Iskandar paused, before breaking out into bellowing laughter again at seeing the dejected look on Lord El-Melloi's face.  
"Oh come now. From what I understood, you never really received the love of a mother, and seeing how much the Mackenzies meant to you as surrogate grandparents, I think you should just accept what love and affection she has to give."  
He paused again, a content smile settling upon his face, staring at his essentially adopted son turned into a man.  
"Let her have her fun. She seemingly means well, and i doubt you've lost those bad habits you Caster types typically display, so you could use someone who is actively looking out for your well being."

Lord El-Melloi sighed in resignation.  
He thought his King would know how to get him out of this.  
No matter, he knew of others who might help.  
"I'll take your words under advisement, my King."  
He walked away, akin to a dead man slowly dawdling on his way to the gallows.

"Hopefully she breaks him of that melancholic funk. Hes a bright boy, at his best when a glorious smile upon his face, and the world ready for the taking." Iskandar mused aloud, purposefully ignoring the motherly shadow standing at a corner nearby.


	4. Duties of an Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Florence Nightingale takes her job seriously, and it seems a potential plague might be lurking around her Master.

Noting that it was now 5am, the Angel of Crimea began her rounds, starting with her Master.  
As the Head Nurse of Chaldea, she was in charge of making sure her patient was in perfect shape, and given that her Master was effectively the only way to cure history of it's Solomon infection, she had taken it upon herself to ensure Ritsuka's health was always in top condition.

Walking down the corridor leading to Ritsuka's personal room, Florence Nightingale bumped into an unexpected person: the assassin Sasaki Kojirou.

Apparently startled by the unexpected arrival of Nightingale, the assassin blushed slightly, breathing heavier than he should for having bumped into someone.  
"My apologies, Head Nurse."  
Before he quickly ran off.

_Odd. The Training Rooms aren't anywhere near here. I wonder why he's breathing like he's been through intensive training._  
Nightingale quickly dismissed the encounter. Servants in Chaldea typically didn't need her help, so unless her Master or the Servants specifically asked for her help, she wasn't allowed to force treatment on them.

She arrived at her Master's door, shortly after the odd encounter, and proceeded to press the intercom.  
"Master, its time for your daily examination. May I come inside?"

The door opened quickly, and the red headed female form Ritsuka could use was what greeted the Head Nurse.  
Their skin had a sort of rosy hue to it, their pupils dilated.  
"Ready when you are, Head Nurse!"

"While I can understand the appeal, as your physician I would highly advise against taking narcotics that I haven't prescribed you."  
Having done her responsibility as the Head Nurse and ignoring the baffled look on her Master's face, she began with her examination.

\-----------------

5am once again, and Nightingale was already on her way to her Master's room for the daily examination.  
Routine was important, after all.

And once again, she bumped into an unexpected sight.  
The Holy Maiden of Orleans, wearing a simple yet ruffled white shift, her typically braided hair unbound and mussed, the rosy shade she had seen on her Master's face also on the Saint's.  
_I wonder if our Master has an Infection. Their vitals seemed within the norm....._

"My sincerest apologies...." Jeanne muttered vaguely, apparently lost in a daze.

Nightingale made a note on her clipboard, to check with the acting Director if she was allowed to check on servants yet.

Arriving at her Master's door, she pressed the intercom, and repeated her greeting from the previous morning.  
This time, the black haired male form greeted her, the same rose shade across their skin.  
"So are you planning on doing this everyday, Head Nurse?" her master asked with a slightly embarrassed look.

"No need to be embarrassed. I'm a Nurse, I've seen it all. But yes. Since the good Doctor Romani is busy running Chaldea, I suggested I just resume my duties from America, to which he agreed." Nightingale informed her Master in a soothing but informal tone, preparing the examination.

\---------------------

5am. Already en-route to her Master's room, Nightingale paused as the shadows in the corridor deepened, and a slightly caustic mist slowly enveloped her.  
An almost unnoticeable pain pressured her kidneys from behind, as a slight weight settled on her back and a small hand materialized on her shoulders.

"Oh, we're sorry. We thought you were the creepy Rider." the small white-haired girl flipped over her, landing in front of her.

"Understandable. Always best to take care of an parasite before it can establish itself." Nightingale approved of how swift and precise the young assassin had been.  
"How goes your surgical practice?"

The small servant started beaming.  
"Really good! Nursery says she likes the patterns we weave."

The Head Nurse tutted.  
"But do they work as intended?"

Jack gripped a knife very suddenly, before slowly letting go, her head downcast.  
"Wavy says so. We can trust his thoughts, right?"

Nightingale smiled. The servant known as Zhuge Liange, who also went by many other names, was a reliable and knowledgeable person, and thus she could trust his opinions of the young assassin's surgical prowess.

"Then yes, I would say you are doing a marvelous job." The Berserker praised the young assassin, who was once again beaming and had her knives sheathed.

"We need to go find Nursery now. Goodbye, Head Nurse!" Jack the Ripper quickly ran towards the room she shared with the young Caster.  
As she ran past, Nightingale noticed that the normally pale young assassin had colour flushed through her exposed skin.  
_I really need to talk to master about this potential infection. A Human to Servant 'spiritnotic' disease would bring about the fall of Chaldea!!!_

Going over the various potential scenarios and already formulating potential quarantine procedures that might work on the more troublesome servants, she quickly arrived at her Master's room.  
Not even bothering to ring the intercom, Nightingale barged in, eyes on her notepad.  
"Master, I've been meaning to as-"

"Shhhhh!" a female voice shushed her.  
Looking up, the Head Nurse noticed that Mash was tucking their Master into bed, their red hair a damp mess.

Mash raised a finger to her lips, before pointing to the door, apparently indicating to head outside, before quietly exiting their Master's room.  
Nightingale obliged the young Shielder and followed.  
Having talked to both Mash and Dr Romani about past procedures, she was aware of what Mash had gone through, so she knew the demi-servant could be trusted to follow basic health checks before leaving an exhausted mage to rest.

Nightingale had spent a lot of time studying modern quarantine procedures, and knew how quickly something new and dangerous needed to be contained.  
"Do we need to quarantine? How far has the infection spread? How quickly can we get a list of the last known Staff and Servants Master has interacted with? Wh-"

Mash held up her hands, causing the Head Nurse to pause.  
"It's not like that. We've just been spending time with Jack, and Senpai doesn't have the ability to process the ambient mana of Chaldea, so they're exhausted."

The head Nurse thought the Shielder's statement through.  
"Does this have something to do with that Rider?"

Mash laughed quietly.  
"No, well yes technically, but not entirely. Senpai is trying to figure out a way to enable better mana absorption without doing direct mana transf-"   
Mash paused, blushing furiously, before continuing,  
"Without relying on that specific type of Mana generation, due to the rather problematic nature of some servants."

Going over a mental list of the Servants Nightingale knew were in Chaldea, she arrived to the only logical conclusion.  
"Yes, Master committing to a relationship would cause those like Kiyohime to raze Chaldea to the ground."

The shocked expression on Mash's face confused the Head Nurse.  
_What other reason would there be?_

"Um yes, thats actually the exact reason. I shouldn't be surprised the Head Nurse could figure it out so easily."  
Mash paused again, a troubled look on her face.  
"However, some of the 'young' servants have been asking Senpai in crowded corridors to 'mana transfer' with them, and given only one servant has shown active interest in those servants, the Hassans advised that I help Senpai when its those like Jack, given how easily Senpai gives in to peer pressure when I'm not around."  
Something was apparently bugging the Shielder, her face seeming to suggest she had forgotten something.  
"Oh! There's also the fact that Jack has explicitly stated they want to 'return' to Senpai, so the combined effort is also partially to ensure Jack doesn't actually hurt Master.

"I wasn't aware Master was into 'that'." Nightingale frowned, tense at the thought of her Master emulating some of that Rider's more perverse ideas. She began writing out a potential series of treatments and procedures to try.  
It seems Master might be in need of some psych evaluations......

Mash stiffened, realizing what she had implied.  
"Oh, NO! Senpai ISN'T like that. But a certain Rider could easily coerce or trick Master into that sort of situation."

Nightingale relaxed, marking the 'psych evaluation' from 'Mandatory' to 'Occasionally'.  
She then remembered the string of Servants with flushed skin she had been encountering since taking her job.  
"Then how comes other Servants have shown similar symptoms to Jack?"

Mash blushed, refusing to look the Head Nurse in the eye.  
"Well, according to Senpai, they managed to get a successful attempt by holding hands with Sasaki while watching the Moon, and established notable success while reading....certain.....stories while holding hands with Jeanne."

Nightingale dismissed the tones of longing she heard when the purple-haired servant mentioned the experiment with one of Chaldea's Rulers. It was irrelevant to what she needed.  
"Then it seems my work is done for the time being. Please contact me if my assistance is needed."  
Nightingale was quick to depart, new plans formulating.

While there was definitely no proof of a potential 'Spiritnotic' disease, it wouldn't hurt to do some research on similar zoonotic diseases as well as other Magecraft specific vectors.

"Will do! Thank you for your work, Head Nurse Nightingale!" Came the earnest reply of the talented young woman who was their Master's Shield.  
_I should go inform Raikou of the situation. As Ritsuka's mother, she will probably want to look after them._


End file.
